23 AirportImprovement.com July | August 2026 SECURITY PGD | SFO crew in place until all passengers depart. “This drove my interest in SPP, where contractors use a flexible model that allows them to modify schedules quickly to meet demand,” he explains. The airport subsequently applied to join the program and was officially approved in early 2015 and implemented in 2016. SFO has operated under the program for even longer. “We have never actually had TSA screeners here,” comments Eva Cheong, managing director of SFO Airport Services. The large global gateway was one of five airports selected to operate with privatized security when the SPP was launched in 2004, and notably, the only Category X airport in that initial group. Since then, the airport has built its operations around the SPP model, integrating it into discussions and plans about passenger flow, construction projects and long-range strategies. Same Standards, Different Structure Currently, 20 U.S. airports are approved for SPP participation (see sidebar on Page 24), and operate under the same regulatory framework as airports with screening performed by federal TSA officers. The private contractors are required to follow TSA procedures, training requirements and operational directives. And oversight remains firmly in federal hands. The program changes how screening services are delivered, not how they are conducted, is how Laroche puts it. The private screening vendors work for TSA, not the various airport authorities. Pre-qualified providers are hired through an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) structure and compete for contracts. “Once an airport is approved to be part of the program, the TSA handles the bid process and selects a contractor for airports enrolled in the program,” Laroche explains. Aviation Security Management provides screening services at PGD. It manages day-to-day staffing and operations, but TSA retains full authority over security standards and performance oversight. Robert Hyde, the company’s chief operating officer, describes the structure as tightly controlled. Covenant Aviation Security is the contractor that provides screening services at SFO. “I trust that screening is to the same level as TSA screening because the TSA oversees it,” Cheong says. “It’s the TSA’s contractor. But we work closely together to make sure our airport runs well.” The SPP framework provides contractors with more flexibility in how they staff, manage and support operations than federally operated TSA screening, she adds. Flexibility, Complexity, Accountability James Parish, chief executive officer at PGD, considers flexibility the defining advantage of the SPP program. Contractors can adjust staffing in real time, keeping screening lanes open longer and aligning schedules with actual demand. This is a boon at PGD, where traffic fluctuates throughout the day and by the season. “They operate like a business,” Parish stresses. At SFO, the program also addresses complexity by helping the airport coordinate six passenger checkpoints for more than 50 airlines and heavy passenger flows across an interconnected system. “The key to our success is that we have a very collaborative relationship with the TSA,” Cheong shares. “We have a standing bi-weekly meeting with TSA’s assistant Federal Security director, [and] the TSA has three briefings a day with Covenant screening staff. We have even received partnership awards from the TSA. The key is that we all respect each other, work well together and work toward the same goals.” Regularly scheduled meetings focus on forecasting passenger volumes and identifying potential pressure points. Daily briefings are designed to anticipate peak periods, align staffing to them and address issues before they escalate. Covenant and TSA have also helped the airport manage screening traffic as construction projects transformed SFO from isolated individual concourses to connected concourses after security checkpoints. “Having a contractor has given us more flexibility during these construction projects,” Cheong says. Oversight is a standard element for all SPP contractors. “A TSA employee JAMES PARISH EVA CHEONG FACTS&FIGURES Project: Privatizing Passenger & Baggage Screening Format: TSA Screening Partnership Program (SPP) Key Benefits: Ability to flex staffing levels to match passenger traffic; performance-based contracts tied to wait times; operational continuity during government shutdowns SAMPLE LOCATIONS Punta Gorda Airport: Growing regional airport with 2.3 million passengers in 2025 Private Contractor: Aviation Security Management Effect on Checkpoint Throughput: Wait times reduced from up to 45 min. to under 10 Oversight: Daily TSA audits & monthly performance reviews San Francisco Int’l Airport: Category X int’l hub with 54.5 million passengers in 2025 Checkpoint Throughput: 2 million passengers/month, with peak wait times under 10 min. Private Contractor: Covenant Aviation Security Oversight: Daily TSA audits & monthly performance reviews WORKFORCE METRICS Hiring: 4–6 weeks for contractors vs. about 275 days for TSA Training: Accelerated through local/on-site programs Screener Attrition: Lower
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